


All That Matters

by KeiKou9275



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Hurt, Major Character Injury, Post-Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2018-05-19 21:44:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5981890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeiKou9275/pseuds/KeiKou9275
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One small choice is all it takes... When one of his own is seriously injured, Kanan Jarrus and his crew need to find the strength and courage to move forward. This AU takes place during and after "The Siege of Lothal."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chaper 1

Kanan knew this wouldn't be easy but he had never expected so many complications to come up one after a another. With the Ghost being tagged by Imperial HQ, the Rebels had commandeered a commercial transport and flown it back to Lothal. When they entered Lothal space, he was stunned by the sheer number of Star Destroyers orbiting the planet. If they hadn't needed the information Minister Tua was offering in exchange for getting her off world, he would have turned around and left the system without a second thought. But they managed to land without an issue and made their way to the meeting point they’d agreed on in Capital City. Again, he was unsettled by the large number of Storm Troopers patrolling the city but luckily Troopers were something he could handle. 

“Well,” he said to Hera. “I’m going to go make a few friends.”

It was embarrassingly easy. Kanan struck up a conversation with an unwary (and very confused) Trooper, knocked him out and quickly dragged him into an abandoned alley. A few moments later, Kanan walked out fully decked in Trooper armor. Pausing briefly to grin at Hera and the others, he fastened his helmet on and made his way to the hangar where they were supposed to meet Minister Tua, giving a slight nod to the other Troopers. A few moments later he heard a speeder engine coming his way and glanced up to make sure Ezra and the others were in position on top of the hangar before turning his attention back to the approaching speeder.

_Karabast!_ he cursed silently. He stood at attention with the other Troopers as Agent Kallus and the Minister stepped out of the speeder. Trying to figure out how the hell they were going to get on that shuttle with Kallus playing babysitter, he was only half listening to the conversation between the two. He watched as Tua and Kallus made their way to the shuttle, when someone called out,

“HEY!” Thanking the Force for well-timed distractions, he turned with the others as Sabine began firing shots at the Imperials. While the Troopers ran to engage, Kanan made his way to the unguarded control panel. As Kallus took out his blaster and ordered the Minister to find cover, Kanan hit the ‘close door’ button. 

“Surprise!” he said cheerfully to the stunned agent before blasting the lock mechanism, not wanting any surprise guests showing up late to the party.

“Rebels,” He heard Agent Kallus growl as he fired but Kanan dodged the blasts and managed to find cover behind a crate. While firing at Kallus, Kanan felt his hand twinge slightly. 

“Damn,” he muttered to himself, flexing his hand. Although he would never admit it, Kanan wished he’d had more time to recover after his stay with Grand Moff Tarkin and the Inquisitor. 

He could still feel twinges in his muscles from the shock torture he received. But Kanan knew he couldn't think about that now, not when his team was counting on him. Taking a deep breath and forcing his mind off the pain and discomfort, he started laying down cover fire as Hera and Ezra dropped down from the hangar roof. As soon as they found cover behind a large stack of crates, Kanan made his way over, doing his best to avoid getting hit while at the same time trying to blast Agent Kallus. He kept his focus on the enemy, only half listening as Ezra told Minister Tua to get to the shuttle.

Adrenaline pumping, Kanan and Hera focused on Kallus as Ezra and Tua ran for the shuttle, the older Rebels a couple steps behind them. Tua ran into the ship with Ezra standing guard at the top of the ramp firing stun shots at Kallus, when an explosion threw Kanan and Hera back. Kanan felt weightless for a moment as he was thrown backwards before he came crashing down a few feet away. It took him a few moments before he came to his senses, sitting up slowly, dazed and confused. Hera was on his left, looking worse for ware, but recovering quickly. Kanan heard an audible groan, and saw that Kallus had been blasted unconscious into a wall on the opposite side of the hangar. Groaning meant he was coming too, which meant that it was time to leave. Looking around once more, he couldn’t find any sign of his young Padawan.

Kanan froze, a cold sense of dread washing over him when he realized that Minister Tua had been inside that shuttle, and Ezra...

_“EZRA!”_ He cried, running towards the ship. Kanan lowered his shields and sent the Force out in search of his young friend. He shoved debris out of his way, his mouth a thin white line and his eyes wide with fear as he searched for any signs of life. He felt Hera, Sabine, Agent Kallus, and the Storm Troopers. He could even feel Zeb approaching, could feel the worry radiating off the Lasat. But try as he might, Kanan couldn’t find his boy. 

“Ezra!” he shouted, panic rising. “Ezra, answer me! C’mon kid, where are you?!”

_‘Caleb’,_ Kanan heard someone say. He tried to ignore it, only wanted to find Ezra but the voice persisted. _‘Calm yourself Caleb Dume,’ the voice said. ‘Quiet your mind. Focus only on what it is you seek. You are afraid of what will happen if you don’t reach him in time, of losing someone you care about. Push those thoughts out and focus only on the task at hand. You can do this youngling. Remember, you aren’t doing this alone. Have faith in your abilities, and trust in the Force.’_ Kanan stopped for a moment. He’d heard that voice before, but where…? He shook his head slightly, doing his best to clear his thoughts. Whoever the voice was, it was right. He had to focus, for Ezra’s sake.

Closing his eyes, Kanan searched once more. This time though, he directed it to finding Ezra and Ezra alone. Kanan focused on the Bond that had been created when he and Ezra became Master and Apprentice. If the kid was unconscious, he couldn’t use the Force to contact Kanan but their Bond was strong. Even if one of them had passed out, the other could still use that Bond to find the other. Another moment had passed when he sensed something. It was weak but it was small spark of life, trying to hang on. His eyes snapping open, Kanan sprinted to the southern wall, with Hera and Sabine close behind after they realized he'd found something.

He heard a ship descending but ignored it as he desperately sifted through rubble. He noticed Hera working on his right and saw that Zeb was moving some the heavier pieces out of the way, with Sabine guarding their backs. He only thought about it for a moment, and then went back to searching. The presence was getting weaker by the minute, until finally it was a small flicker, ready to go out any moment. 

“Not again,” he muttered. _“NEVER AGAIN!”_ He’d failed to protect his Master, failed to save Okadiah. He _WOULD NOT_ fail his Padawan. He stood suddenly, causing Hera and Zeb to stop what they were doing for a moment. “Get back!” he growled. Knowing better than to question him, they moved back a few feet, drawing their weapons in case they were attacked.

Kanan took a step back. Breathing as he would in meditation, clearing his mind and focusing only on he needed to do. Hands extended, he slowly raised his them above his head, the larger pieces of debris mimicking his movements. When he had turned around completely, the pile was floating directly over the burning shuttle. With a slight gasp, Kanan dropped the debris onto the remains of the ship. A wave of exhaustion hit him immediately. He hadn’t used the Force to that extent in a long time, not since Cynda or Gorse. Pitching forward, he would have gone face first into the ground if Hera hadn’t been at his side, taking an arm and supporting his weight. Teal eyes met green, and Hera could tell that Kanan had over extended himself. With an exhausted smile Kanan straightened and turned his attention to Sabine and Zeb, his heart dropped as he saw them crouch around a small, unmoving form. 

_Ezra_

Kanan and Hera rushed forward, helping Zeb and Sabine move more debris aside. About to assess Ezra’s condition, Kanan flinched before pulling Hera out of the way of a blaster shot. Forgotten in the chaos, Agent Kallus had recovered quickly. 

_“YOU DID THIS!”_ he shouted as he continued to fire at them. At that same moment, the Storm Troopers managed to get the doors open and began shooting at the Rebels. Knowing they'd run out of time, Kanan, Hera, and Sabine responded in kind. 

“Zeb!” Kanan shouted, “Get Ezra onto the ship! We need to get out of here, _NOW!”_ Nodding grimly, the Lasat hooked his bo-rifle to his back.

Kneeling beside the youngling, Zeb looped one arm under Ezra's back and the other behind his knees, doing his best to be gentle but cringing as Ezra moaned in pain as he stood. Zeb ran for the transport, dodging blaster fire while keeping Ezra covered. Once on they were on the ship, Hera and Sabine made a run for it, with Kanan a few steps behind them. Zeb had gently placed Ezra on a row of seats, and was laying cover fire as the Jedi jumped in. Once the door was sealed, Chopper began ascending to airspace but only got a few feet above the hangar roof before a well-placed shot took out one of their engines. Kanan covered Ezra and braced for impact as the ship crashed down. He heard Sabine yelling at them to get up, that they had to get out of here. Gathering Ezra in his arms, he followed Zeb and Hera out of the damaged transport, with Chopper close behind him.

They ran, knowing that their lives would never be the same again after today.


	2. Story discontinued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who read this story:
> 
> Thank you for your support and kind words, but due to loss of inspiration for this story, I am unable to continue writing. However, I will not leave the story completely unfinished. Below is the idea I originally wrote, an unpolished version. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Regards,  
> The Writer

Story Idea  


Star Wars Rebels “Siege of Lothal” AU  


Starts off in the Imperial hangar when Ezra and the Rebels go to rescue Minister Tua. They’re being shot at by Agent Callus, trying to protect the minister. Kanan tells Minister Tua to get to the ship. Minister Tua makes for the ship with Ezra right on her heels and the Rebels a couple steps behind him. Tua and Ezra both get on the ship when it explodes. Kanan and the others are blown back by the explosion, but quickly get back to their feet and rush over to the wreckage to look for Ezra and the minister. There is no sign of Tua, she didn’t survive the explosion. Zeb finds Ezra under a pile of debris, unconscious and with multiple injuries, including mild burning over the right side face. Zeb gently picks the young Jedi up and carries him out while the others provide cover from the Imperials firing at them. They manage to make it to the Bridger residence but they have almost no medical supplies and Ezra is declining fast. Kanan manages to Force heal his young Padawan to some degree but is unable to treat all the injuries. While figuring out what to do next they are discovered by Storm Troopers and have to flee.  


They make it to the Imperial Hangar and are able to escape on the shuttle after a brief skirmish with Darth Vader and his Storm Troopers. They consider going to Tarkin Town to find a doctor to look at Ezra but before they can land they see that it’s been destroyed and the inhabitants captured or killed. Hera and Kanan contact Lando, calling in the favor that he owes the Rebels. He tells them to go to his base and his droid will provide whatever medical supplies they may need. While Hera and the others gather the supplies they need, Kanan sits by Ezra’s side, holding his hand and encouraging him to get better. He starts to cry, afraid that he’s going to lose another person close to him. Although Ezra isn’t physically conscious, he can still sense him through the Master-Padawan bond that was created and brushes Kanan mind to let him know that he’s okay. Hera, Zeb and Sabine finish loading the supplies and leave Lothal to randevu with Rebellion. When they arrive, Ezra is immediately taken to the medbay on Phoenix Home, where it’s determined that he needs to transferred to a medcenter with better facilities to treat his injuries.  


As they are transferring Ezra to another ship, the Rebel Convoy is attacked by Darth Vader. Kanan and the Crew of the Ghost (including Ahsoka) take to the ship to try and fend off Vader’s advances. After Kanan and Ahsoka use the Force to figure out who is attacking them, Darth Vader viciously attacks the ship that Ezra was on. Hera watches in horror as the engine explodes, destroying the ship. Kanan feels Ezra’s presence disappear and thinking his Padawan/son is dead goes mad with grief. Zeb finally has to knock Kanan out since he’s trying to get on the Phantom and go after Vader. The Rebel Convoy manages to escape and they randevu close to Datooine. A month later, Kanan stares blankly at a wall, Hera cries nonstop, Sabine tries to comfort her but is on the verge of tears as well, Zeb is in a state of shock, and Chopper makes quiet beeping sounds. After Ahsoka recovers from her encounter with the Sith Lord, she visits the Rebels. She does her best to be patient and understanding but also tells them that if Ezra was here now, he’d either laugh at how pathetic they’re being or shock them all and tell them to get off their rear ends and do something worthwhile.  


Although they can’t forget their grief, they agree with Ahsoka and start working to bring the Empire down. Fast forward a year to the (decide the star system at a later date). The Rebel Convoy are fighting an Imperial blockade surround the planet (figure out later). The Ghost is has a group of ties on it’s tail and the gunners can’t shoot them lose. Just when it seems that the Ghost has finally run out of luck, a blue and orange X-Wing comes up from behind the ties and blasts them to bits. Kanan, who’s cut his hair short and gained a couple of scars on the left side of his cheek, feels a presence brush his mind at that same moment. It isn’t harmful or evil, and in a way seems familiar. Kanan tries to touch the presence with the Force but it’s gone out of range now, and he remembers he needs to focus on the battle at hand. After the battle is over and the Rebels have won, the Ghost docks in the hanger of a stolen Imperial star destroyer renamed _**Rebirth**_. Kanan and his family disembark when he feels that presence again brush against his mind. Now that there aren’t ties and star destroyers trying to blast them to space dust, Kanan realizes that the presence is… achingly familiar.  


He uses the force to reach out and track the presence. Kanan is faintly aware that Hera and Zeb are talking about the pilot that saved them. As he locks onto the presence, he begins walking away, unaware that Hera is calling his name. Kanan allows the Force to guide him as he tries to remember where he’s felt this presence before. He suddenly finds himself in front of the X-Wing that had saved them. It’s a deep, deep blue, almost black in color with orange designs covering most of it’s body. The top hatch opens and Kanan sees the top of a helmet from inside the cockpit. He feels the presence in full now, and his heart is racing like a loth-wolf. Hera, Zeb, Sabine and Chopper all come up behind him, watching as the X-Wing pilot climbs down the ladder, sliding down the last three rungs. The pilot’s helmet is unlike any other, an old tie fighter pilot helmet that’s been repainted with designs and the Rebel Alliance symbol of the phoenix right in the middle.

The pilot slowly brings his hands up to remove the helmet. As he does so, Hera notices a strange device belted to his hip. It looks like a cross between a gun and a welders torch… and it looks startlingly familiar. She realizes where she’s seen it and gasps, tears coming to her eyes. The helmet comes off, and bright blue eyes, full of disbelief and possible hope, meet teal, green, amber, black, and cybernetic. The pilot is young, perhaps 16 or 17 years old, with tan skin and long bluish-black hair pulled back into a ponytail. There is old scarring on the right side of his face where he was burned, though it’s not as severe as it could have been. Kanan stares, unwilling to believe what he’s seeing, what the Force is telling him, for fear that he is dreaming or hallucinating. Hera slowly makes her way around Kanan, cautiously walking towards the youth. When she finally reaches him, they stand there for a few moments, their eyes meeting. They are of a similar height, with the young man being an inch or two taller. Green eyes search blue, and find a mixture of fear, sadness, anger, and hope. Hera reaches to touch the youth’s face, one that she thought she had lost forever more than a year ago.

The boy, eyes now bright with unshed tears, utters a single word, a question to confirm that he hasn’t finally lost his mind or that he’s dreaming: “Mom?” Hera loses it then, tears spilling down her cheek as she desperately pulls Ezra Bridger into a tight hug. There is only a second of hesitation before Ezra returns the hug with the same fierceness. Sabine, Zeb and Chopper rush forward, eager reunite with the brother they thought they lost. Sabine pulls Ezra into a hug, murmuring a thank you prayer in Mandalorian for bringing her little brother back. Zeb picks him up and swings him around, relief and joy apparent on his face. Chopper keeps bumping into Ezra’s leg, whistles and beeps and head spinning revealing how relieved he is to see his favorite human alive and well again.

After a moment, the reunited members of the Ghost realize that there’s one person missing. Ezra turns and sees that Kanan, his Master/Father/Friend, hasn’t moved an inch, shock and disbelief still apparent on his face. Opening his mind to the Force, allowing the Master/Padawan bond to open again, Ezra walks over to Kanan. He stands before him, his bright blue eyes looking up into those teal eyes he remembers from so long ago, those teal eyes that show up in his dreams and nightmares. Cautiously, Ezra reaches out and places his hand on Kanan’s arm, startling the older man momentarily. A smile slowly forms on the younger man’s face, the same impish smile full of impertinence and good humor that Kanan only remembers too well. Kanan opens himself to the Force, his hopes confirmed as he feels the familiar presence of his Padawan once more. Kanan starts crying at that moment, tears racing down his face as collapses to his knees in relief and exhaustion. Ezra manages to steady him so he doesn’t pitch forward face first into the floor, tears falling down his face as well as Kanan pulls him into a rough hug.

Ezra grips Kanan’s shirt, afraid that the man he admired and looked up to for so long would disappear if he let go. Kanan holds the boy that had become a son to him, apologizing over and over for not protecting him better, for letting him get hurt and then not even bothering to try look for him. Ezra just shakes his head. He pulls back a little to get a better look at Kanan, that impish grin a little watery now. “Doesn’t matter,” he says, his voice cracking a bit from emotion. “Doesn’t matter now. You’re here, you’re all alive, and that’s all I care about.”  


**Author's Note:**

> I need to thank kingdomheartsloversstuff.tumblr.com. Without her help editing this piece, I doubt I would have ever posted it!


End file.
